FiveLeafed Clover
by Strike To Incinerate
Summary: -Sequel to 'Even My Shadow Left Me'. So read that first.- Iori is dying. Kasumi is going insane. Alba has amnesia. Nothing will be the same. -Ha, fear my poetry. Features a lot of pairings, knowing me!-
1. Almond Blossoms

Author's Note: Yes, I am officially back (AGAIN). That's right, I have not died, and I still love KOF. This is, of course, the sequel to 'Even My Shadow Left Me'. I left too much angst at the end of that to just let it go... besides, doesn't everyone want to know what happened to Alba, Soiree and Chae after they were all possessed by aliens? Of course you do! Duh. -smile.-

Yes, all of the chapters are named after certain kinds of flowers... but not any cliched ones, like roses, tulips, or forget-me-nots. Ones that actually mean something. Flowers can mean all kinds of stuff, you know. Even bad things. It's not always 'everlasting love'.

Anyway... let's get started.

--

**Five-Leafed Clover**

**The Sequel to 'Even My Shadow Left Me', a KOF fanfiction by Strike To Incinerate.**

**Chapter o1 - Almond Blossom (Hope and Watchfulness)**

--

_"There's a place that I've found  
As far as I can see  
This place lies within  
The depths of my dreams  
In a garden surrounded  
By fire and trees  
Through the smoke a silhouette I can barely see..."_

My Apocalypse by Escape the Fate.

--

He had a dream that he was standing in a field full of clovers.

She was there.

He was, too.

She smiled; he smiled back, but he didn't know why. He looked to the other man, who gave him an encouraging thumbs up. He waved, and then sat down, playing with the stem of a clover in his hand.

She sat next to him, leaning against his arm, watching him as if it were very fascinating. She was warm, she smelled clean; like mild soap. She was a very ordinary-looking girl, aside from the white stripe in her bangs, but he thought she was very beautiful.

Suddenly, she kissed him, and his hand left the grass to carress her face, inadvertantly taking the clover with him.

The other man ran over, laughing and telling them to stop fooling around. He had no idea of who they were, or where they were, or what they were doing there... but he felt he cared about them very much.

He looked down into his hand. There rested a clover with five tiny leaves. A five-leafed clover... who had ever seen that? He'd rarely seen four-leafed ones, so was a five-leafed one supposed to bring more than seven years of good luck?

He didn't know... but he had a warm, contented feeling in his chest, and he decided that, yes, it probably did.

--

He woke up in a hospital room.

It was white, and there was a curtain drawn around his bed. There was an IV in his arm, and a machine monitoring his heart beside the bed. He sat up. His legs felt numb, and his arms tingled. His stomach felt very, very empty. His mouth was dry. His vision was a little blurry at the edges, but he couldn't see past the curtain anyway.

He wondered how he had gotten here... and when he couldn't figure it out, he knew that he had amnesia, and had probably been in an accident of some kind.

He looked around for the call button, and then pushed it.

He waited, for maybe a few minutes, until a nurse came into the room. She was short, a little plump, and had long brown hair that was tied up into a ponytail. The shapeless magenta scrubs weren't really her color. She was smiling at him.

"Wow... you're finally awake!" she congratulated him.

He paused, blinking; he hadn't yet considered that he'd been asleep for more than one night. After all, he didn't even know why he was there.

"You don't know why you're here, huh?" she asked him. He shook his head. "Well... you were brought in here, already in a coma. Best the doctors can figure was that you overdosed on drugs, but they never found anything unusual in your system. There were two others with you, too."

He paused again, and then asked, "... A man and a young woman in their mid-twenties?" He was hesitant, almost uneasy; he suddenly felt sick. He was lightheaded, and his chest was tight.

She nodded. "Yes, they were," she agreed. "So, you remember what happened?" she asked him.

Slowly, he shook his head. "No..."

"Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping to find out what had happened to you three," the nurse replied, disappointed.

"Are the others still... out?" he asked.

"Oh, well, your brother is," she answered.

His brother. That explained the connection he had felt in his dream.

"The young woman woke up, though... about a month ago. She didn't remember what had happened, either, but she remembered you and your brother very well," the nurse answered.

A month. So he had been in a coma for nearly a month.

"Exactly how long were we asleep?" he asked her.

"Oh... well... you were brought in in August. The girl left in October... it's November 19th now. So, about three months, I'd say."

Asleep for three months... he didn't know what to say.

"Your brother is right next to you, you know..." she said, pulling back the curtain. Now, he could see a young man asleep in the other bed, with an IV and a heart monitor, the same as him. He had white-silver hair... and as he had suspected, he was the man from the dream about the clovers.

Could it, perhaps, have been a recessed memory?, he wondered.

"I'm sorry," he began, "but I don't remember anything at all. Who am I?"

--

His name was Alba Meira, she told him. His brother was his younger twin, Soiree... after learning that, he remembered that their names meant Day and Night in different languages. They had been orphaned as children, and had grown up in Southtown... that was where the hospital was. They were both experts at martial arts; Alba had been considered the best in the city before the accident that left himself, Soiree and the young woman in a coma at the top of Geese Tower, a local landmark dating back to the late '80's.

The young woman was a detective named Sohn Chae Lim. She was a Korean immigrant, in America on a work visa. She was also internationally famous as one of the best Tae Kwon Do masters in the world. She had filed the necessary paperwork to become a US citizen a month before they'd gone into a coma. The nurse wasn't sure about how they knew each other; so, for all he knew, they could be complete strangers...

but it nagged at him. She was a trained martial artist, too. They must have had some kind of connection...

The nurse had instructions to call the young woman as soon as either of the Meira brothers woke up. That, also made him suspicious, but the doctor said that there were to be no visitors that day.

The next day, Alba began physical rehabilitation, to make sure his limbs worked properly after months of disuse. After a few hours, he could stand on his own, and the day after, he could walk with no trouble. His muscles were still strong, probably from his life-long martial arts training.

He tried talking to his roommate, his brother, who was still in a coma. He wondered when he would wake up, and he asked him so. He also asked his brother if he still had his memory, if he knew who Chae Lim was, and if he had ever found a five-leafed clover.

The third day after he had woken up, the doctor and nurses were still unable to contact the young woman, and he wondered why. Perhaps they were not acquaintances at all. Perhaps he was the unexplainable reason they had all slipped into comas, and she knew it, and was scared of him.

Whoever Sohn Chae Lim was to him, she could still have her memory... which meant that she could have answers to his questions.

A week passed. The hospital told him that he could be released soon. He finally began to wonder about he and his brother's medical bills, which were probably very expensive. The doctor told him that they had been billing someone named L. Meyrink for their stay. Alba asked if that was who had admitted them; the doctor told him that someone named Kyo Kusanagi had called 911 that day. They didn't know who L. Meyrink was, and had just assumed that it was a relative who was responsible for he, his brother, and Miss Sohn.

Just another mystery to add to the pile.

Two days later, he could check himself out of the hospital, and he planned to do so. He was given back his belongings; a red leather jacket, black pants, and a tight black top. There was also a pair of stylish orange sunglasses, probably designer. It made him wonder first if he was gay, and second, if he was wealthy. It all looked expensive, but after he put it on, he found that the outfit was very worn, singed, and frayed.

He promised Soiree that he would find out who they really were, and visit him everyday until he woke up.

As he left the room, and went down to the lobby, he saw her, sitting in a chair. She looked so tired, he didn't recognize her at first. He wouldn't even have looked again if he hadn't seen her stare at him, and then break into a smile.

She had dark circles under her gray eyes, her hair was messy, unparted, layered, and long... it looked grungy and unwashed. Her skin was a little pale, except for her red cheeks, looking almost sickly. Her lips were nearly colorless, and she seemed... unwell. She didn't look like the girl from his dream. But still, she smiled, and uneasily, he returned the expression.

She must have taken it as an invitation, because she stood up, and walked over to him. "Alba... you're awake. I'm... I'm so happy..."

He realized then that she didn't actually look sick; she looked like she'd been worrying. She looked like someone who had cried, not gotten enough sleep, and ate very little... out of concern for another person. Or people.

As she threw her arms around him, he knew that they were not strangers, or even merely acquaintances.

This girl was someone who knew him very well... and in this situation, she knew him better than he knew himself.

--

"I'm dying."

"I know."

They had sat on the couch for an entire afternoon, pretending to watch TV, while actually trying to think of a way to say those two sentences to each other.

Iori Yagami was dying, and there was nothing either of them could do to stop it.

It was a curse that had plagued his family for centuries, ever since his clan had come up with the stupid idea of sharing power with the Orochi. Now, he had to pay for it. It wasn't fair; Kasumi was screaming that in her head. It made her want to punch things, to destroy things, anything to take care of the anger and complete sorrow she felt at losing the one she loved. They both knew it wasn't fair.

They both knew there wasn't anything they could do.

Just the way it was.

That's how life goes.

Iori had known it since he was a child.

But now, death scared him.

He and Kyo were practically friends now. He had Kasumi; he had a semi-successful career as a bass guitarist, and was famous for that as well as fighting. He had a great apartment. Now that he had a chance to seriously look at his life... it was pretty fucking good, and he didn't want to leave it so soon. He was ready to move past his hatred of Kyo and be a dashing Prince Charming (or, you know, a gruff, rockstar version of it) for Kasumi. Iori Yagami wanted to live.

But, he only had a few more months, as far as he could figure.

Since he had first starting coughing up blood in August, it had gotten worse. The clots that came up were bigger, and there was more blood. The week before, he had vomited, and it had a sickening vermilion tinge to it. He was feeling weaker, he got tired more easily, and became agitated with the smallest things that Kasumi did, causing her to cry or scream at him. Kasumi was pestering their doctor almost daily; they were on the second one, and Iori knew his patience was wearing thin.

They were both worn out, emotionally and physically, and it wasn't going to get any better.

Kasumi rested her head against his shoulder. She was watching the television, but her eyes darted up to meet his every once in a while.

"I'm not going to die right this second," he told her.

"I know..." she mumbled.

'I know,' was her new answer for everything. Every time he said something, she already knew it.

"I don't want to watch this shit."

"I know," she said, and changed the channel.

--

Alba was surprised to find that he had a red sports car. A shiny, well-cared-for convertible.

Chae Lim handed him the keys, and hopped into the front seat.

"Are you sure that it's alright for me to drive?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Well, it is your car..." she told him. "I actually feel a little bad. You never let anyone touch it... but I thought you'd be happy to see it. I'm sorry... you aren't mad at me for driving it here, are you?" she asked him.

He blinked; it was amazingly thoughtful, yet she thought he might get mad?

_'Okay, so I was a rich narcissist...'_ He looked at the girl again. Didn't rich narcissists date supermodels? She certainly was not a conventional beauty.

"No, I'm not mad," he finally said. "I just didn't remember that I had such a nice car."

"Well... uh... I guess that means you don't remember how you got it, either?" she began. He shook his head. "Or the way back to our apartment?"

_Our_ apartment. So they were dating. It made sense, but without his memory, he didn't know any of the 'why's or 'how's.

"It's okay. I'll direct you," she told him. He started the car, and to his relief, he did remember how to drive it; it came naturally, on instinct. He must have been very fond of driving that car.

She told him how he had gotten the car; he had saved up for it as a teenager, doing odd jobs for a gang. He was the adopted son of a gangster, along with his brother, and they'd grown up in Southtown. He was mildly shocked, but he didn't show it. Gangs had been popularized by the media, and Southtown did look the place for it...

"Am I still in a gang?" he asked.

She chuckled. "You're the leader of the Sons of Fate," she replied.

"That's a strange name."

"Um... Fate was your father," she said.

He felt a bit guilty. "Oh, okay."

"Yeah... so, I already told the others that you woke up, and they're going to let you rest for a few days before they visit you," she explained. "A lot of people... will probably call you Don, or King."

"I thought my name was Alba."

She chuckled again. "It is. But... uh..." She went on to explain that he was considered to be the leader of Southtown's gang-ridden underworld, after he defeated Duke, the leader of Mephistopheles, the old ruling gang. That was a few years ago, during something called a King of Fighters tournament. It was also where they'd first met.

"Actually... did they tell you where we were found?" she asked him.

He nodded. "On top of some tower."

"Geese Tower. That's it, over there," she said, pointing to a large, gray sky scraper. Atop it was a red construction crane. "Ironically... that was exactly where we first met. Right on top of that tower."

"Really?" He was surprised.

"Really. We were actually supposed to fight..." She was blushing now. "It was so cool. You actually jumped off the crane--"

"I JUMPED off that crane?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. You jumped, and landed perfectly. It was really cool... you were respectful to me, too. You approached me like a serious competitor, not like I was a woman."

"But you _are_ a woman."

"Not during KOF. Then, I'm a martial artist first, and a woman second. You understood that," she continued. "But... you accidentally knocked me out, so you took me home so that Soiree and Mignon--"

"Who's Mignon?" Vaguely, he remembered that 'mignon' was French for 'cute', like 'filet mignon'.

"Soiree's girlfriend," she answered. "Anyway... they took care of me until I woke up. Then, you came home from beating Duke, and I took care of you. After that, I tried to go home to Korea... but..." Her blush became deeper. "The three of you followed me to Korea, and brought me back. So, now, Southtown is home for me."

It was romantic, almost like a movie. The kind of romance any girl would want. He and Chae Lim sounded very lucky...

Which made him wish he could remember it even more.

--

Alright, there's the end of chapter one.

I'm sorry about Iori. But I must write that angst!!! Blame SNK for the Yasakani curse.

Anyway, let's see some reviews!


	2. Striped Carnation

Author's Note: Yay! Another update! I had two days off in a row, so I decided to work on this (rather than one of my other projects. I'm trying to do too much... oh well). Gotta write that angst... yeah...

I know that no one cares, but... once I finish revising the last chapter, there will be an NC-17 version of this story up on . It won't be totally hentai; it'll just involve one sex scene between Alba and Chae Lim (in the first chapter) and then later, one between Iori and Kasumi. Personally, I think it'll make the story deeper (using sex as a plot device. Yeah, I'm awesome). But, out of respect for the readers who don't want to sift through that, I'll keep this one clean. You perverts who do want it can go to .

Anyway, on to Chapter Two. Let's do this thing!

--

**Five-Leafed Clover**

**Sequel to 'Even My Shadow Left Me' a fanfiction by Strike To Incinerate.**

**Chapter o2 - Striped Carnation (Refusal)**

--

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen,  
I'm glad you've graced me with your presence  
You're in time to see me wrestle with my conscience  
And staring in the si-si-si-silence  
You see, I came to save the stage,  
I hope I'm not too late  
Passion called from back behind the curtain screaming,  
"Sonny, this is urgent" "

The One-Armed Boxer vs the Flying Guillotine by From First To Last.

--

It was the middle of the night when Alba woke up, Chae Lim lying next to him on the black leather couch. They were both half-covered with the thin green blanket, and Chae's light blue, button-down shirt was opened enough for him to tell that she hadn't bothered to put her bra back on.

Between the curtains, he could see the night sky over downtown Southtown, with pin-prick stars desperately trying to outshine the city lights.

Carefully, he slid off of the couch and stood up, trying not to wake her.

In the aftermath of what they'd done, he felt guilty, and more confused than before.

Did he take advantage of her love for him? Or did she take advantage of his guilt over not remembering her?

Now he could see that it was reckless. There was no thing as no-strings sex, and in this situations, those strings were the ties that bind. In the morning, she would wake up, smile, and offer to make him breakfast. She was sweet, and she cared about him; it was inevitable.

But none of his questions had been answered.

Was he a different person now? Was she a different person? He didn't know how he could love someone without knowing them at all... acting on pure emotion felt... illogical.

In fact, as he watched her sleep, so serene with that enigmatic smile on her face, he found his thoughts wandering, wondering if he was dreaming about him...

and it freaked him out.

It made him feel paranoid, and then, angry. He didn't have the heart to wait until she woke up to tell her that it wasn't going to work, going the way they were headed. They couldn't get his memory back by having sex.

And it scared him, how much he cared about her. The very fact that he knew the look on her face when he said, 'I'm leaving' would break his heart and make him feel like the world's biggest asshole, scared him shitless.

He just could not do it.

He couldn't pretend to be the person he had been, because he couldn't even remember who that person was. Or who she was. Or anything. At all.

So he grabbed his keys. He found her address book laying on the table, next to a stale, half-eaten take-out box of white rice. He looked up L. Meyrink, and found the address. He left her a note. He left the apartment, and went to the car.

Whoever Luise Meyrink was, he had to feel less overwhelmed with her than he did with Sohn Chae Lim.

--

"Thank you for meeting us here, Yagami-san."

An older woman, with graying brown hair and blue eyes bowed to him. She was wearing a still, purple cotton kimono, and her face was blemished by wrinkles. Beside her, leaning against the wall, was an older man with long, ink black hair and a trimmed moustache. His arms were large, and he was tall, for a Japanese man, easily four inches taller than Iori. He had a stern look, but his brown eyes betrayed the fact that he was a father; they looked as if they could soften at any minute.

These were Kasumi's parents; her traditional mother, Shizuka, who wished for her daughter to stay home and become a wife and mother, like the many Todoh women before her, and her father, the patriarch of the Todoh clan, and head teacher at the Todoh School of Kobujutsu, where Kasumi was not allowed to work, who wished for his daughter, his only heir, to carry on his legacy through teaching and bloodline.

Iori had never before seen them both in the same room. Probably because Shizuka Todoh was always at home, and Ryuhaku Todoh was never at home.

"Yeah, well... you said it was urgent, about Kasumi," he replied, the easy answer. "What is it?"

"We heard that you were dying... and we'd like to extend our sincerest apologies about that," Ryuhaku said, giving a slight nod.

Iori frowned a little. _'The hell? Not like you made that stupid deal with the Orochi. Hell, you probably don't even know about it. You probably just think it tuberculosis or something, just like those stupid asshole doctors,'_ he thought, but he held his tongue. He didn't have the energy to get into an argument with both of Kasumi's parents, and he knew that if he did, it would only make her more upset. She didn't even know he was here; she thought he was at a club, rehearsing with his band. She was still at the apartment, making dinner and watching television, maybe even on the phone with Mai. "Uh... thank, I guess," he replied.

"We're very sorry to hear that someone as young as yourself is in such poor health. It's a shame," Shizuka added.

He shrugged. "So... are we actually going to talk about Kasumi, or what?" he asked them. He was getting sick of their formalities. He hated that traditional crap, and was glad that Kasumi never did it. Even normal politeness ticked him off sometimes.

The Todoh elders looked at each other, and Ryuhaku nodded. Shizuka cleared her throat, and said, in a very clear, firm voice, "Please stay the hell away from our daughter."

Iori was taken aback, both to hear the prim, traditional mother use profanity, and that she was just now, after they'd been dating for three years, telling him to stay away from her.

"Uh... you know that even if I was willing to, she wouldn't listen to you, right?" he informed Shizuka.

Ryuhaku stepped in. "I'm begging you. Please... leave her alone now," he replied.

Her father had more influence over Kasumi, he knew. In fact, her father's actions had influenced Kasumi for the past ten years. She still considered him to be one of the best martial artists in the world, despite all the evidence to the contrary, and for some reason, did not resent him for deserting her family. She didn't even consider it 'deserting'. She just blindly blamed Ryo Sakazaki for her father's shortcomings.

"Why? Why now?" Iori countered. "You didn't even care for the first three years--" he began, looking at Shizuka, "-- and you weren't even around. You definitely don't have the right to ask me that," he finished, looking at Ryuhaku. "Kasumi searched for you for YEARS. You show up now because you don't approve of us dating?"

Ryuhaku swallowed. "It isn't that. I'm sure your good enough for my little girl, if you've been together this long..." he said, and his wife elbowed him hard enough to make him cough. Apparently, she didn't agree. "All we want is to spare our only child the pain of losing someone she loves."

"Pain is life. Kasumi's a big girl, she can deal with it," Iori replied harshly.

"Do you want to put her through that?" Ryuhaku said. "Do you think that's fair, that she has to carry all of that on her shoulders?"

"You think I want to fucking die?!" Iori bellowed. Ryuhaku jumped, but Shizuka did not. "No. I don't. It's not my fault... I don't want to leave her all alone..."

"You think she'll be alone with out you?" Shizuka said quickly. "She won't. She wasn't alone before she met you, and she won't be alone after you're gone. You narcissist; do you honestly think that you're the only person she has? She has a family, she has friends... she'll be fine without your punk ass."

No one had spoken so plainly to Iori since his own father had died. He felt a little intimidated.

"That's right; I don't care about how many people you've supposedly maimed and killed. To me, you're just a punk-ass kid who's about to hurt my only child. You don't scare me at all... the only thing that scares me is the fact that very soon, my daughter will be emotionally scarred for the rest of her life."

He wanted to counter that they had never been the perfect parents to Kasumi, that they had no rights to make her decisions because she was an adult, but... he just couldn't.

He couldn't tell them that they were wrong.

Because he knew that it was going to kill a part of Kasumi when he died, and the only way to stop it was to make her hate him now. And that would kill him in more ways than one.

"... I know," he said quietly. For the first time since his childhood, he felt tears, not of pain, or hate, but of pure distraught, sting his eyes. He couldn't bear to hurt Kasumi like that. It was already killing her, to have to deal with all of his shit with the doctor's and watching him waste away...

And her parents had just offered the solution.

She didn't have to watch him die. She could hate him, and move on, to someone who was wonderfully uncursed, someone who could marry her and safely have children, someone who would take care of her and treat her well all of the time...

strangely, it was a comforting thought.

Probably because it was what he wished he could do.

"I... I'll break up with her tomorrow. I'll let her know that you're home... she'll come running back here," he told them, his mouth suddenly dry, a lump in his throat.

"Thank you," they said in unison, both of them bowing to him.

He stood up, nodding... and flipping over the chair as he walked away.

It hurt more than his blood-riot, but it was the only thing he could do.

He wasn't going to let this curse bring Kasumi down, too.

--

_'I'm going to stay with Luise Meyrink. I'll call you if Soiree wakes up._

_I wish I could remember who we were._

_Alba.'_

Chae Lim read the note a few times, standing in the kitchen in nothing but her button-down shirt. She crumpled it in her fist. At first, she felt angry and used; get in, get some, get out, huh? But, then, she realized, that it was hard for her to play victim when she'd practically forced herself on him.

He didn't remember her, so for him, she had been some random girl who really, really wanted to get into his pants.

She sat at the table, folded her arms, let her head fall into them, and cried.

After ten minutes, she was hiccupping, and she'd run out of tears. Her face was red, her head throbbed, and she felt hungry and depressed. She felt slovenly and insecure. She felt jealous, too; whether he remembered it or not, he (and Soiree) had once had a dream about Luise, which had led to a city-wide manhunt for her, before the second King of Fighters tournament, back in 2006. They'd never found her, but Alba and Soiree both had a special nickname for her: 'Fraulein'. She'd always felt a little jealous that Luise and her supermodel-elegant looks would steal Alba away. After all, Alba was good-looking, intelligent, a man of power... why the fuck would he want a girl like her? Why would anyone?

She was going crazy... she picked up the phone, and called Mary.

"Oh... honey..." Mary soothed. "He's just being a man, you know? He wants to do things on his own, feel like a big boy. You just have to let him do those things. He'll come back once he has his memory. He'll remember how much you mean to each other."

"But--" she was sobbing again, "I was supposed to help him remember! Why... why would he go to her? I mean, I know she's European and sophisticated and rich and beautiful... but..."

"Honey! Don't talk like that!" Mary scolded. Chae Lim sniffled. "Her accent is so ridiculous. You can't understand what she's saying half the time! And secondly, you've got discipline. You're sophisticated in your own way. You're a cop; start acting like one. Go break down that woman's door and take Alba into protective custody. Place him under house arrest until you can get some evidence. Real cops don't sit around and cry and wait for suspects to find them; they go out and do their job!"

"I can't do that," Chae Lim said. "I need probable cause. A search warrant."

"You've got probable-fucking-cause!" Mary retorted. "Love! That's the most probable cause of all!"

Chae Lim laughed. "Yeah, well... I can't go kicking down doors. Maybe I should just give him some space to do his man-thing. It's not like... he'll really just switch to her, right? Not in his condition... he's smarter than that!" she replied, feeling a little better.

"That's the spirit! There's my girl!" Mary said. "Hey... I got an idea. Later, you want to go out for some Karaoke?"

Chae's secret weakness; Karaoke. She loved making a fool of herself with all of her friends. It was a great stress reliever.

"Yes. That'd be great," she replied, her smile growing.

"Good. I'll bring Terry, and Rock, too. That kid needs to get out and have fun with others his age. Everybody's been ignoring him lately, poor guy. 'Cept for that creepy little underage girl... man. She pays a little too much attention, you know?" Mary said.

Chae Lim laughed a little. "Alright, it's a date. What time are you going to pick me up?" she asked.

"Oh... 'round seven or so," Mary said.

"Okay... thanks, Mary. I really appreciate it," she said.

"Oh, honey, it's no problem. I'm glad I could cheer you up. I'll see you at eight."

Feeling better, and with the prospect of fun on the horizon, Chae Lim hung up the phone and went to take a shower.

--

"Alba? Zis is a su'prize," Luise said, opening the door for him.

"Oh... well, I woke up yesterday. Did Chae Lim not tell you?" he asked her, stepping into her apartment. She closed the door behind him.

She shook her head. She was more beautiful than he had expected, in an unusual, exotic way; long, silvery hair, the brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen... a svelte figure, and elegant manner. The kind of woman that went with his car.

It was annoying and confusing, that in the back of his mind, a voice was going, _'Well, yeah, but you know Chae's even more gorgeous...'_

"Huh... Zat iz strange..." Luise said. "She 'as been keeping in contact vith me since she woke up... I just assumed--"

"I guess I was just too distracting for her," he cut in. Hearing her talk about Chae made him think about the girl and feel bad for just leaving like he did. He wanted to ignore it, and focus on his amnesia.

Luise laughed. "I suppose so," she replied. Her laugh was melodic, light... pleasant to the ear, but not as enrapturing as Chae's.

He had to stop doing that... comparing her to Chae.

_'Forget Chae. I don't even remember her. I need to remember everything... that's what I need.'_ His inner voice wasn't as confident as he would have liked.

"I'm glad to see zat you are vell, z'oh..." Luise continued.

"Well, it was all thanks to you, Fraulein," he replied. "You footed the bill for that hospital stay. Can I repay you in any way?"

She shook her head. "Oh... no. Zat iz not nese'zary..." she said gently. "I 'ave too much money any-vay. It vas nice to be able to do zom'ting for others for a change," she finished.

Alba nodded. "Well... thanks. If you ever need something, just tell me," he said. "I really owe you one."

She smiled again. "Vell... I assume zat zis iz not a social visit... and surely, you did not come all ze vay 'ere just to thank me, nein?" she asked. "Is zere som'ting you vanted to talk to me about?"

She was intuitive, and kind. He felt much more at ease as he talked to her. "I... can't stay with Miss Sohn," he said.

The formality he used startled her for a moment. "I see... you've lost your memory..." she said. She seemed thoughtful for a moment, and then continued. "Vell... I guess you vere just unlucky. Are zings awkward vith you and Chae Lim?" she asked him.

He nodded. "Not for her... but for me. She seemed willing to accept my amnesia... but I can't..." he explained. "I feel like it's smothering me."

"Did som'ting 'appen?" she asked.

"In a manner of speaking," he answered.

She chuckled, blushing a little. "Vell... you are alvays velcome 'ere," she told him. "I 'ave a spare guest room. You can sleep there, until you figure things out."

"Thank you," Alba replied, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

Unknowingly, Luise turned her head at the last moment, and their lips touched. Alba instantly pulled away, giving her a funny look.

"It's down ze hall... door ein on ze left," she told him quickly.

He walked, briskly, towards his new room.

Luise touched her lips... musing on how little Alba knew, and what Chae Lim could have told him so far. When they'd talked, she'd seemed to have little recollection of Rekha's actions. All she knew was that Rekha had tried to make her copulate with Soiree, but was unable to, and that she had been involved in a ploy to leave this planet and destroy it. She couldn't remember why, or how, those actions had come about. She just felt guilty for turning against her good-loving nature.

But... if Alba did not have his memory, and Chae Lim had told him nothing of Addis or Jivatma... then there was a chance that he never would know of it, and it would minimize the possibility of Judiem, and therefore, Rekha, resurfacing again during their lifetimes.

Luise bit her lip. She did not know what she would do... she walked to her room, wondering if it was still her place to meddle (to save innocents certain pain), or if she should, as Rekha had always told her, just leave them alone.

--

"Hey, sorry about not telling you... I mentioned to Yuri that we were going to Karaoke to cheer you up, and she wanted to come... it's cool, right?" Mary asked, as she, Chae, Rock, and Terry went to sit at the large booth.

Chae nodded. "Yeah, it's cool..."

"Well, she brought King, Mai, Ryo and Robert, too... you sure it's cool?" Mary continued.

"Mary, she said it's cool, so it's cool. Jeez, the more the merrier, right?" Terry said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Chae nodded, smiling brightly. "It's fine. It'll just make it more fun," she agreed.

Mary had picked her up promptly at seven, and she'd piled into the backseat with Rock. She had changed from her normal jeans to a pair of slim black pants, and a dark green top with three-quarter sleeves. She wasn't wearing much make-up; just some eyeliner and lipgloss.

Aside from Mary, she didn't know any of the people there very well. She'd only heard about Terry from various people, and Rock and Alba had stopped hanging out after Soiree had disappeared. Rock seemed nice, but constantly plagued with women troubles; he was awkward around girls, and the one who was the most willing to get to know him was more like a stalker than an admirer.

But, it brought their total up to nine people. A waitress came by, and took everyone's order for drinks; Ryo, Robert and Terry had beers, King, Mary and Mai had various cocktails, and she, Yuri and Rock all ordered sodas.

"Okay... who's going first?" Mary asked, standing up.

"Oooh! Since we're here to cheer Chae up, why not her?" Mai suggested, bouncing happily.

Chae blushed. "Uh... okay."

"I'll go second!" Yuri volunteered.

"I'm third!" That one was Mai.

"Rock's going fourth," Terry put in.

"Do I have to?" The young blond whined.

"Hell yes, you do. You're not going to just sit around and sulk. We brought you here to hang out with other kids your age. Don't be rude," Terry said, taking a sip of his beer.

Yuri and Mary chuckled, and Chae went up to the karaoke machine, picking up the mic, and flipping through the song book. Most of the songs were in English... and so, she didn't recognize many. One did catch her eye. It was the theme song of a movie she and Mignon had watched together one night while waiting for Alba and Soiree to come home after their 'business meeting'.

She put in the CD, and picked the track.

The guitar introduction began, acoustic, soft and slow.

She cleared her throat, and began to sing with the words on the screen.

_"And I'd give up forever to touch you, because I know that you feel me somehow.  
You're the closest to Heaven, that I'll ever be, and I don't want to go home right now."_

Ryo and Robert snorted, eliciting punches from their girlfriends. Yuri and Mai looked at her with sympathy, and Rock was very still.

Her voice was calm, but full of emotion, soft, but seeming to fill the room... and she didn't feel like herself. She felt different... but they were still her feelings.

_"And all I can taste is this moment.__  
And all I can breathe is your life.  
But sooner or later, it's over. I just don't want to miss you tonight."_

The guitar picked up, electric and bass joining it, with the drums finally adding depth.

_"And I don't want the world to see me, because I don't think that they'd understand.  
When everything's made to be broken... I just want you to know who I am..."_

She had sung that more loudly than she'd meant to, putting more emotion behind it than she'd expected. The song was more appropriate for her state of mind than she'd realized.

She kept singing, until it was over.

Mai, Mary and Yuri stood up and clapped, cheering for her, and King sat with a serene smile, clapping slowly. Ryo, Robert and Terry toasted their beers, and Rock was still very silent.

Chae went back to her seat, feeling proud of herself, just a little... she felt better, too, getting that off her chest. It had been a little melodramatic... but a good song. She'd have to download it to her iPod.

"That was really good..." Rock whispered to her.

She smiled at him. "Thanks... Karaoke's really popular in Korea."

"Yay! My turn!" Yuri said, bouncing over to the machine.

--

They'd stayed there for hours, until closing time, singing almost a hundred songs, and racking up more than a hundred dollar's worth of drinks. Mai ended up joking that they should do Karaoke at King's bar instead, because the drinks would be free.

Chae went back to Mary's car, and Rock opened the door for her.

It was then that King came jogging up to them, that same small smile on her face. "Ah, Mary... can I talk to Chae Lim for a moment, oui?" she asked.

Mary shrugged. "Sure."

"Merci," King to looked to Chae. "You're a very good singer," she complimented.

"Thanks... I mean... I'm just glad that I don't totally suck."

"Suck? Non non non. Quite the opposite, actually..." King continued. "Listen, I was wondering if you could help me out of a bind... My house band went back to Japan. The bassist got sick. I've been trying to find replacement acts for them, but nothing's been working out..." she explained. "I was wondering if you could sing in the longue of the Illusion for me. I have a wonderful piano player, and I can find you a guitarist. I'll pay you for each gig, too."

Chae bit her lip and looked to Mary. "I... don't think I can. I mean, I have to get back to working at the police station soon, and I'm really not that good..."

"Just on the weekends, please," King begged. "I haven't been able to find anyone... just for a couple of hours. I'll pay you whatever you want."

Chae found herself unable to refuse. "Okay... but if they boo me off the stage, it's your problem."

King laughed. "Yeah, right... Thank you, Chae Lim. I really appreciate it," she said. "How about tomorrow at six?"

Chae nodded. "I'll see you then."

--

Yeah, that's the end of chapter two. I had to work really hard to finish this one up today... But, it's done, so I can keep going. I've got three more chapters planned... whoo.

Review, please.


	3. Hydrangea

Author's Note: Whoo! It's time for chapter three! And, I lied; I actually have seven chapters planned for this story... Whoops.

Anywho... I think it's time for more angst! Dundundun-da!

--

**Five-Leafed Clover**

**Sequel to 'Even My Shadow Left Me' a fanfiction by Strike To Incinerate.**

**Chapter o3 - Hydrangea (Vanity, Frigidity)**

--

"When the night, turns to day,  
I know that people change but you just stayed the same.  
You would swear, on your grave,  
That you would never become exactly what you hate.  
Now you're gone,  
And you're on to the next one.  
This time I gotta live without you,  
That's just the way it has to be,  
This time I gotta live without you  
And you're on to the next one.  
On to the next one."

On To The Next One by Escape the Fate

--

Chae Lim arrived at the Illusion around five o'clock. She was wearing a pair of navy blue dress pants, and a button-down shirt, tucked into them. Kitten heels were on her feet, but they were driving her nuts already.

King, standing behind the bar, waved at her. "Over here!" she called.

Chae walked over, smiling nervously. "Um... hi. I'm here."

"You're a little early, don't you think?" King asked, but she was joking. "It's okay. I don't mind..." She looked Chae up and down, and made a 'hmm...' sound. "What are you wearing?" she asked.

"What? I'm too dressed up, aren't I?" she panicked. "I'm sorry... I just thought..."

King began to laugh, shaking her head. "Don't be silly... I just... well, I sort of expected you to wear a dress," she replied. "Since you're singing for a paying audience."

Chae blushed. "Oh... I'm so sorry... I didn't realize--"

"Hey, it's okay. You don't need to freak out," King said soothingly. The girl was wound up pretty tight... probably due to the fact that her boyfriend had amnesia. She patted her shoulder. "I have a couple of dresses out back. I bought them for the last girl, but she didn't work out. You're a little smaller than her... but they should fit."

Chae nodded. "Okay, thanks."

"Alright... go pick one, get changed, and come back out here," King instructed.

"Which way is it...?"

King pointed to the door that read, 'Back Room - GTFO'. Chae Lim went to it, and disappeared into the back room.

It was easy enough to find the dresses. They were in clear dress bags hanging from a coat rack. She began to sift through them... the first was a shiny pink one. It hurt her eyes. That was a no. The next was turquoise... but there were too many sequins. After that, it was a crimson one. She liked it, but when she checked the size, she found that it was just two sizes too big for her... she put it back, disappointed. Upon second thoughts, she was glad; the color reminded her of Alba.

The last two were her size, luckily. One was short and green, and the other was longer, purple, with short sleeves and it was made of satin. It didn't hurt her eyes, it didn't remind her of anything in particular, and it wasn't too revealing. She went with the purple one.

It hung past her knees with a slight flare. The material was smooth, and it felt nice. She checked the mirror, and everything seemed fine... well, the dress was fancier than her hair-do and shoes, but that didn't matter.

She left to go present herself to her new boss.

King clapped her hands together in approval. "Very nice... now, let us see..." Her eyes roved again, checking Chae over for any imperfections. "Your shoes... why are you wearing heels?" she asked.

"Oh, well, I wanted to look nice," Chae replied simply.

"You're going to be standing on stage for three hours. Those'll kill your feet," she said. "There's a pair of black ballet flats in the back. You're a size eight, right?" King asked. Chae nodded. "Thought so. Put your hair up, too... here..." she handed her a butterfly clip. "It doesn't have to be perfect... just keep it out of your face."

Chae sighed, and went back to the back room to fetch the ballet flats and fix her hair. She hadn't expected her appearance need to be... so well-maintained for this job. She was almost regretting it.

She went back to King once more, who nodded. "That's perfect... good. You can just sit at the bar until it's time for you to go on," she said.

Chae Lim sighed, and sat down on a stool. It was six thirty... half an hour until showtime.

She wondered what she had gotten herself into.

--

It was the second night Alba had had a dream involving Chae Lim and Soiree.

He, Chae and Soiree were in that red sports car... Chae, sitting up front with him, and Soiree, laying down in the backseat, bobbing his head the to the music that was blaring from the radio. Somewhere, he had heard the song...

_"Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right, I swear I'm right..."_

It didn't matter. He was driving... fast, but smoothly, through the city. It was pitch black, aside from the city lights. Soon, they were out of the city... driving somewhere...

They arrived at a cemetary. Soiree jumped out of the car, followed by Chae Lim. Soiree knew where he was going; he made a bee line for a certain grave. Chae Lim followed slowly behind him. He followed both of them.

A young man with short blond hair and red eyes was there, as well. In his arms was a bouquet of red roses, and he was placing them on a grave with tears in his eyes. He nodded to the young man, knowing him, but not exactly.

A woman (of considerable bust), with long, curly blond hair, wearing a yellow and black tight pleather suit was just staring at two conjoined graves. She appeared emotionless, but was speaking softly to the headstones. A few more graves down, a dark-skinned man, large and muscular, in a red and black shirt, was kneeling in front of a grave that was covered in many different colored flowers.

Five people were standing at the last grave. Two were blond men with broad shoulders; one had long hair and blue eyes despite his asian looks, and the other had short hair and brown eyes. The third was an older gentleman in a black, three-piece suit. His tanned skin was heavily wrinkled, and his white hair was slicked back. The last two were a man and a woman; the man was dressed in an ornate chinese robe, with long, black hair bound into a braid that nearly reached the ground. The woman was elegant in her black and white riding suit, every lock of her blue-black hair in perfect place. But her eyes were red, and the men were standing around her protectively, trying to comfort her. Whoever laid in that grave, they were sorely missed. Soon, the group walked away, the man in the chinese robe with his arm around the woman. Now, he could see that the man with long blond hair was trying his hardest not to cry, and the man with short blond hair was rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. The older gentleman simply pushed his sunglasses back up his nose, and walked away.

He finally caught up to Soiree and Chae.

The grave they were standing in front of was Fate's. Alba remembered that Fate was their adopted father... Soiree's fists were clenched, and Chae slipped her hand into his. She gave him a hopeful smile.

"So... this is Fate," Alba muttered. They both gave him a funny look. He looked back at Chae Lim.

Fate. His entire reason for needing to defeat Duke... for becoming the Don of Southtown. If he had never done those things, would he have met Chae Lim? Would he and Soiree have grown up together, or would they have been adopted seperately? His life would have become completely different without...

Fate.

--

"Get the fuck out."

Kasumi was taken aback. "What?"

"You heard me. Out, now. I'm sick of your shit."

Her eyes narrowed. "I don't understand what's gotten into you today. Go back to bed... you're being a grouch."

He had forgotten that they'd been together so long, Kasumi was used to him getting angry and yelling for no reason. "No, I mean it. Get. The. Fuck. Out."

"How long were you on the internet last night?" she asked, raising a brow.

His fist clenched, and he slammed it on the counter. "I'm not playing around with you, woman! I said get out of my house!"

"Okay, aside from the fact that I was in the middle of making you breakfast when you suddenly decided to throw me out... what's going on?" she asked.

"You. Ever since you found out I was dying, you've gone ballistic. You've scared off doctors, you're too clingy, and you're trying to take over my life..." he said. "And I'm not taking it. So get out. Now."

"But--"

"Before I call the police."

Kasumi picked up the frying pan, and threw it into the sink. "I've tried really hard to be patient with you, but you know what?" she rolled up her sleeves, and marched towards the door, her face red. "Fine. I'm gone, since you want out so badly." She put on her shoes. "Send my stuff over to my parents house."

She slammed the door, but Iori didn't jump.

He sat on the couch, biting his lip until it bled. His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails were biting into his palms. He wasn't going to cry...

As he went to lock the door, he found that despite his best efforts, his cheeks were wet, for the first time since he was a kid.

He'd broken up with women before... he'd learned to take it one step at a time, because they could be scary bitches. Step one was kicking them out... step two was changing the locks.

He picked up the phone to set step two into motion.

--

Luise sighed as she laid in bed, and glanced over to the red-haired man sleeping beside her.

Somehow, he had found his way into her room in the middle of the night.

Somehow.

And she hadn't stopped it. She had probably encouraged it. She wasn't even sure of what she was doing...

No, in her heart, she knew.

She wasn't trying to keep Alba and Chae Lim apart; she was trying to keep Rekha and Judiem from trying to destroy the world with their 'love'. And, unfortunately, Alba and Chae Lim were their most prefered hosts.

But guilt nagged at her. Chae would be devastated... no, they hadn't actually done anything. They were just sleeping. But in his confused state, Alba would probably want more. And instead of going to the woman he truly wanted, he would go to her. And she could welcome him, and keep Judiem and Rekha apart... or she could shun him, throwing him back to Chae Lim, where he belonged.

Over the past month, she and Chae had a tentative friendship. Chae was grateful for the assistance with her medical bills, and that someone cared enough to check up on her. And Luise respected the girl's sharp mind and cautious optimism about her situation. She remembered most of what had happened, due to Rekha's lack of control, and secretly resented herself for it. Luise had been the one to cheer her up, in the absence of her lover and her close friends.

Was it fair, she wondered, to keep two loving souls apart because their love could be destructive? It was like telling someone they had no choice of where their life would lead. But could they be trusted to keep their true selves at bay... no, not their true selves. Alba and Chae Lim were people. They had their own unique personalities and beliefs. But were they strong enough, then, to keep the alien consciousnesses dwelling inside them at bay?

They had proved once that they could not, because of her lack of action, her pity for the plain, human lives that they'd led. Rekha, in fact, had almost escaped...

No. Judiem was too adamant about finding her. He was obsessed, crazed, when it came to Rekha. In helping to destroy Lakia's world, he proved that he was willing to go to any lengths to keep her... because he knew Rekha's fickle heart could be easily lost to another.

Luise rolled away from Alba, looking at the wall.

She didn't want to...

but it wouldn't be right to lose another world, an entire race, because she felt sympathy for two young lovers.

--

It was time for the show to end on Chae Lim's third night of work at the Illusion... she had begun to draw quite a crowd. People found her voice to be soft and deep, calming and thought-provoking, easy to listen to, but full of emotion, and they liked it... just as King had expected. The girl could hold a note perfectly, on instinct, and could sing a myriad of American soft rock songs and showtunes.

The Illusion had been packed, and King had made three times the profits that she usually did. She'd even had to turn people away, because they were in danger of creating a safety hazard with all the people packed into lounge.

And, at the end of the night, as King was wiping down the bar and making a list of what liquor she would need more shipments of, a young blond man with crimson eyes was waiting for Chae Lim, holding a bouquet of roses.

It made her blush.

"Great show..." he complimented her shyly, as she took the roses.

"Oh, thanks Rock," she said.

"It was a full house, all thanks to you..." he replied, smiling slightly.

"Mmm... I guess, but it made me really nervous," she said.

"What? You did great!" he said in surprise, giving her shoulder a nudge.

She grinned, and took a seat on a stool. "Yeah, I guess so," she finally agreed, smiling a little more.

King looked over, pleasantly surprised. "Well, young man!" she huffed. "You haven't been to see me in ages!" she feigned offense.

"Sorry, King," he replied, his cheeks heating up.

She eyed the two of them, leaning against the bar. "Oh... I see..." she said, grinning again. "You didn't come to see Madame King, did you? You came to see my little songbird!"

The three of them shared a laugh, knowing how ridiculous that was... After all, it was well-known in Southtown that Chae was the 'Don's girl' and 'no one messed with the don's girl'.

But Rock was staring, and he couldn't help it.

"Songbird? But Athena didn't arrive yet!" a chirrupy voice said.

They looked over, to see Athena Asamiya standing there in one of her usual pop idol outfits.

Chae Lim rolled her eyes.

"Oh, hello, Athena," King greeted her. "I didn't realize that you were a drinker..." she began, "but the bar is closing, so you'll have to leave soon."

"Athena doesn't drink! I have an image to keep up!" Athena huffed, her cheeks turning pink. "I came to see Chae Lim!"

Well, that was certainly a surprise.

"Um... okay," Chae began. She and Athena weren't friends; they hardly knew each other. In fact, they wouldn't know each other at all if not for the KOF. They had no mutual friends, and Chae couldn't understand why someone would want to be that damn hyper all of the time. Even Mignon came down from her sugar rushes. "What do you want?"

"Athena's lawyers are putting a court-ordered injunction on this establishment!" she announced.

"WHAT?!" King roared, slamming her fist down on the bar. "What the hell is your problem, Athena? This is my bar!"

"Uh-uh!" Athena said, wagging a finger. "Athena was having a concert in the next city over... but it was totally ruined when all of the boys who were bringing their dates came here instead!"

That, of course, was hardly true. The stadium was still two-thirds full, and her label had still made enough money off of the concert. However, while singing autographs, she had overheard one of her many fans complaining that her friends were supposed to come, and had gone to the Illusion instead, selling their tickets to some people of a younger crowd. Being used to packed stadiums that were full of screaming fans, she had remembered that that concert was not, in fact, packed to the brim. And being a spoiled pop-princess, she had used her psychic powers to find out why. She had tracked it back to the Illusion and Chae Lim.

"What?" Chae said, standing up. "You can't do that!"

Athena shook her head, with a bright smile. "Athena sure can! You were stealing her fans with your... evil rock music! You were purposely trying to steal profits from Athena's label over your jealousy during the KOF!"

"A judge bought that?" King replied snidely.

"Mmhm!"

"That's bullshit!" Chae said, knocking over the stool she had been sitting on. "That's not true at all! I don't care if you're a stupid pop princess, or if you have ridiculous powers, or if you had a stupid concert! I didn't even know you had a concert in town!"

"Well, no one can prove that, can they?" Athena replied.

"Haha..." Rock began to laugh, shaking his head. Athena pouted, glaring at him.

"What's so funny?" she said, stomping her foot.

"No-nothing..." he replied, also standing up. "You're just threatened by her sound, aren't you?" he replied.

"Yeah, right!"

"People like the way she sings, because it isn't the same regurgitated pop crap that you spew all of the world. It's different, and it scares you," Rock said, grinning.

"Y-yeah... yeah right!" Athena repeated.

"Whatever. Don't come in here and threaten King and Chae Lim when they didn't do anything at all," Rock replied.

"In fact, Athena... you can stick that injunction in your ear," King told her.

"Or not, because this bar is closed down until I'm out of the Southern United States," Athena retorted quickly.

"I think you will... I think you'll get that injunction repealed immediately, or I'll show the entire world what a brat you really are," King said, folding her arms over her chest.

"Athena thinks you're bluffing!" Athena said in a sing-song voice.

"Oh, really?" King said, her smirk growing. "Look up there," she said, pointing to a small black camera mounted in a corner, near the cieling. Athena paled. "Yes, that is a security camera... and I will put that tape on the internet if you don't get that injunction repealed by tomorrow morning," she threatened.

"No one would believe you!" Athena shouted, stomping her feet again.

"Chae, if you please," King said with a wave of her hand.

"My pleasure," Chae replied, before spinning around and planting her foot into Athena's chest, knocking her back. "Get the hell out of this bar!"

Athena panicked, not used to everyone... well, not worshipping the ground that she walked on. She teleported out, leaving two rather satisfied women, and one young man with a nosebleed.

For Chae Lim had forgotten exactly how short that green dress was... and it had ridden up a little too much during that kick.

--

At the end of her hasty teleport, Athena found herself in the foyer of the luxurious Beart mansion, almost one hundred miles from Southtown.

It wasn't too long before Ninon noticed her presence, and walked out to see what she wanted. The youngest Beart was not too thrilled to see her.

In fact, her exact words were, "Get the hell out of my house, you idiotic, over-indulged brat."

Athena didn't seem to care about the insult. "Don't you want to know why Athena's paid you a lovely visit?"

"That would be wonderful, if the visit was actually lovely. Get out, before I place a hex on you," Ninon warned.

Athena was growing frustrated; why didn't anyone like her today? "Nuh-uh! Not when you hear what Athena has to say...!" she taunted, wagging a finger. "Athena has the answer to all of your problems..."

"I don't have any proble--"

"Your _boy_ problems."

Ninon raised a brow, but then decided, "Go on... I'm listening..."

"Athena knows why Rock Howard doesn't like Ninon!" she said cheerily.

Ninon's fists clenched, and she was suddenly riled. Probably because Rock Howard was her one weakness, and he worked 60 percent of the time, everytime.

"Out with it, you... airheaded ninny!" she said.

"Rock Howard has a girlfriend!" Athena sang happily.

That only served to make Ninon more angry. "Stop singing! That isn't good news! He's supposed to be my boyfriend!" she said. Of course, this had never been arranged; after the incident at Geese Tower, Alba, Soiree and Chae Lim had been rushed to the hospital, and she had never gotten her end of the deal from Luise... because it had been dependant on Alba's help.

"Don't you want to hear who it is?" Athena asked.

"YES," Ninon hissed. "Tell me right this minute!"

Athena was all too happy to oblige. "It's... Chae Lim," she said.

Ninon thought that was fishy. Chae Lim was dating Alba... and she didn't seem the type to cheat. As much as Ninon was obsessed with Rock, she was also a very realistic person. "What are you talking about, Athena? That's so ridiculous."

"Oh-ho-ho! Wanna bet?" Athena countered, still smiling as if she were terrifically pleased about something. Which, she was. She was about to get back at Chae Lim and King by using Ninon Beart. Athena was a pop idol, but she wasn't that stupid. She was just very spiteful when things did not go exactly as she had planned them.

Ninon thought about it... Athena was flighty, for sure... but she wasn't Mignon. She didn't run around making things up to suit her whims. "What do you want me to do about it?" she asked.

Athena shrugged. "I don't care what you do. That's up to you. Just thought Athena should tell you, you know, as a friend..." she said.

"But we're not friends," Ninon pointed out.

"How do you know Athena doesn't want to be friends with you? Athena loves everybody!" Athena said in that fake love-love-sugar pop princess voice.

"I'll give it some thought," Ninon said diplomatically. "But thanks for the tip."

"No problem!" Athena said, doing a little twirl, and then teleporting out.

Ninon didn't mull over her choices very long. As sensible and nihilistic as she was, she was also a teenager, and her black heart was still very fragile. Rock Howard, in her eyes, had taken the precious gift she had given him and smashed it to a million pieces with a hammer. And Chae Lim was to blame.

"I'll curse that little whore..." Ninon swore, heading up to her room. "Let's see her try to steal anyone else's lover away when she can't even talk to her own..."

--

It was three o'clock in the afternoon when Alba recieved a call from the hospital.

He looked to Luise, grinning happily, for the first time since he'd woken up.

"Soiree's awake," he said, snapping the phone closed.

--

Author's Note: Sweet. Next chapter is in the works. Sorry this took so long; I have a lot of projects, including a Blue Mary cosplay that's taking forever. I also might be getting a puppy. Go me.


	4. China Aster

Author's Note: That's right, it's time for another update... I hope people are still reading this. ;;

Btw, I downloaded 'Red Hands' by the Dear Hunter, at MehgoMeh's suggestion... GREAT SONG. So sad. -sad face.- Everyone should listen to it. I love the lullaby sound of it.

So yeah, here we go. Time for a fun, angst-filled chapter.

--

**Five-Leafed Clover**

**The Sequel to 'Even My Shadow Left Me', an MI fanfiction by Strike To Incinerate.**

**Chapter o4 - China Aster (Jealousy and After-Thought)**

--

"With the worries that I'd give her in they told the worst of me  
With my wanting just to hold your neck in my arms and feel me squeeze  
No I'm not going to give you what you want so if you please  
The sin that shapes your voice carries my ears this new disease."

The Velorium Camper I: Faint of Hearts by Coheed and Cambria.

--

Luise was happy for Alba... to celebrate that they would bring Soiree home tomorrow, she took him out for a drink.

He didn't beg, but when he suggested the Illusion, Luise knew he didn't choose it for the fine wine.

But she didn't tell him no. She wasn't going to hold him against his will... she couldn't. If he felt drawn to Chae Lim, there was no avoiding it. In the back of her mind, Luise could hear the voices saying that he should be with her anyway.

King brought their drinks to the three-quarters full lounge, where she sang. Alba was on the edge of his seat, as much as he tried not to be. He tried to keep his eyes on Luise, but she knew that voice that sang so beautiful was not Chae Lim's.

It was Rekha's siren call, seeking Judiem.

Perhaps she should have told him no.

But at the end of the act, Alba merely clapped politely, and it was Luise who suggested that they go congratulate Chae Lim for her new success.

And at first, Alba seemed a little apprehensive, but then he nodded, taking her arm gently.

Luise saw, too, how Chae Lim tried to force her lips to smile, and barely succeeded. She saw the pain in the girl's gray eyes, and her sudden abhorrence of her... but she couldn't apologize. She couldn't saw she was sorry, although part of her deeply was.

"That was great," Alba said to her softly.

Chae nodded, and swallowed hard, hoping no one would notice.

But Alba did, and Luise tried not to. Alba's gloved hand stiffened as he fought the urge to touch the girl's shoulder comfortingly; it was instinctive. He had sworn he wouldn't see her cry...

"Thank you..." Chae finally said, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

King and Rock, Chae's newest confidantes, saw the tense situation, and Rock was kind enough to step in. Alba was polite enough to step back, but he swallowed the jealousy that rose in his throat like bile. It was bitter, it made his fists clench, and it made him want to wretch.

He couldn't fight loving her, but he was going to try.

"It vas a vonderful perfomance--" Luise began tentatively.

Chae's voice was sharp and cold as she took Rock's arm, toying with a single, long stemmed white rose. "Thank you."

_For taking him away. For making my decisions for me. For being the selfish, horrible person we all knew you where._

The thoughts were loud, screaming, stifling, and Luise felt the urge to flee.

"Good night," Alba said simply, leading her away, his eyes staying on the rose just a little too long.

_She never loved roses, she never loved things that were so cliche, she doesn't like blonds--_

It was funny how easy it was to recall things when his chest was tight and he wanted to punch a wall and cry.

Chae watched him-- them-- leave... _themthemthem_. It made her feel hollow inside, as if someone had opened her up and taken something out, then put her back together missing a piece.

"Come on," she half-dragged Rock towards the bar.

The rose fell to the floor.

--

It had taken all day, but Ninon had found a five-leafed clover.

She'd searched a vast field... the chances were one in one hundred thousand of finding it... but for this, she would have searched all of Ireland.

_Such is the siren, leading men to their doom..._ she thought. But if Chae Lim was a siren of lore, than Ninon would fancy herself Medea, the greatest of sorceresses, willing to do anything to keep her Jason from leaving...

Yes, it was quite the apt analogy.

Perhaps Chae Lim should have stuck to seducing pitiful, worthless sailors...

It fit so well, she thought, with malicious glee, her nihilistic heart overflowing with hate.

But little Ninon was still too young to know the difference between obsession and love, and the prices people paid for confusing the two.

--

"So..."

It began awkwardly, to say the least.

He was a time-travelling ninja business-man. She was a simple college student - martial artist. They didn't know each other at all.

Her mother was setting her up, but she was too numb to care. Maybe she should have listened to her mother in the first place. Her mother had been right, just as she always was; Iori had used her for the only thing she was apparently good for, and thrown her away, like a rag doll.

Mother knows best.

He could see it in her eyes, that she was bored out of her mind. She was a good-looking girl, petite and pretty, but he knew she wouldn't smile no matter what he did.

"You're a playboy, aren't you?" she asked him bluntly.

He chuckled a little, feeling nervous suddenly; but at least she was talking.

"I guess you could say that," he agreed.

"I knew it." Her voice was convicted, and he wondered if that offended her. "My mother thinks she knows my type."

So, someone had given her the run-around, he realized. Probably very recently. "If it helps--"

"It won't."

She was a very blunt girl, not the kind, carefree person that Shizuka Todoh had described to him. This was probably why she'd begged him to take her daughter out. "I don't think you're ready to date me."

"It took you this long to figure that out?" _Narcissistic pig. Jerk. Womanizer. I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole now--_

He had red hair and brown eyes, but he wasn't Iori.

And maybe that was the problem.

Kasumi stood up, grabbed her jacket, and walked out of the restaurant.

Kotaro Fuuma brushed his wild red hair out of his eyes, and winked at the waitress. "Check, please."

--

Rock Howard was a light-weight. He'd never expected to meet anyone who could hold their liquor worse than he could.

But he had never before thought of getting drunk with Chae Lim.

At first, after three screwdrivers, he felt bad, seeing the glazed-over look in her eyes, tears shining at the corners from sorrow and the bitterness of vodka.

But after two more, he realized that it was not pity he felt for Chae Lim. He was angry at Alba for abandoning such a wonderful girl, and he knew that he needed to pick up the pieces and make life okay for her. He could do that, couldn't he?

She seemed to read his mind. "Let's go get a cab..." she slurred softly.

King gave them both stern looks as she dried off a glass... but she would not be the one to interfere in the affairs of youth. She knew better than to try to point someone in the right direction; each person had to be their own moral compass.

And maybe waking up with a hangover would actually help them.

But, no matter which way it turned out, King had faith that it would be okay. Rock was a very nice kid, and he had never taken such an interest in anyone before... if Alba Meira wouldn't have Chae Lim, Rock wouldn't be a bad second choice.

--

"I think it iz time for you to go home," Luise said, as she took off her jacket and hung it on the hook.

Alba blinked for a moment, and then said, "That obvious, huh?"

She nodded, but did not appreciate the light humor. "Zis... vill never vork. You don't vant to be vith me... and zat is fine. But don't force yourself to pretend zat you don't vant her. It's killing ze both of you..."

"Luise..."

"It's killing me, too. I feel so guilty... don't you see ze vay she looks at you?" Luise said.

"Of course I see it!" Alba's voice was louder than he'd meant it to be. "It hurts, and I don't know why!"

"It hurts because you love her... neither of us can change zat," Luise told him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't want to."

"You only vant to know vy..."

He nodded. "But it isn't fair. Does no one see my side of this?" he asked. "I can't remember... anything. Everyone just feels bad for her. Everyone thinks that I'm the bad guy!"

But even as he said that, he was hating himself, too.

"Just go home. Soiree vill be zere tomorrow... At ze very least, you know zat he vill be impartial. You never tried talking to her, did you?" Luise asked. He shook his head. "Try it. She might understand."

"She won't... I know she won't," he said weakly. "And I couldn't sit there and tell her that I don't love her anymore."

She laughed softly. "But zat isn't ze problem, is it? Telling her zat vould be a lie," she reminded him. "If you ask her for space, I'm sure zat she vould gladly give it to you. You saw the vay she looked at you. If you asked her for any'ting, she vould do it."

Alba nodded. "I'll be going home, then," he decided, swallowing the lump in his throat.

--

They had stumbled from the cab to the doorstep, and then up the stairs, with forced laughter and heat on their cheeks as they'd held hands.

She unlocked the door, and it had opened a little too fast for her numbed reflexes. That was a real laugh as she'd lost her balance and he'd grabbed her, almost losing his too.

They fell onto the couch, and Rock's first hazy thought was that she was nice and warm and they couldn't really be that drunk.

"Chae... I--" he began, hiccuping.

She didn't seem to notice, her head resting on his chest.

She had fallen asleep, which sounded like a nice idea... but so had kissing her and telling her that she was better off without Alba, who was too selfish to think about her for one minute, when he was thinking about her every minute of every day.

Rock slid his arms around her, holding her close.

He didn't want to kiss her while she slept.

He wanted her awake to see how much he thought he cared.

But soon, enough, he was passed out, too.

And unexpectedly, the door opened again.

"Chae?"

Rock felt on edge, hearing another man calling her name. Whoever they were, they needed to get off of his Kool-Aid, he wasn't going to let anyone else hurt her...

But it was Alba, and he narrowed his eyes at the red-head.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, half-accusing, trying to sober himself enough to speak clearly.

"Apparently, my name is on the lease," Alba replied. "What are you doing here?" he retorted.

It wasn't until she shifted and made a little yawn that he noticed her sleeping there in the blonds arms... looking at peace.

It was that look that set him off.

"Get the fuck out, Howard! NOW!" he roared.

Chae Lim was jolted awake by the sound, sitting up, accidentally jabbing her elbow into Rock's ribs. "What's... going on?" she said, wiping her eyes sleepily. Her eyes readjusted, and her lips split into a smile as she saw Alba, completely forgetting about Rock in her drunken daze.

She rolled off of the couch, pushing herself to her feet, and stumbling towards him.

But Rock followed her, grabbing her arm to hold her back. "Chae, stop... don't," he said.

"Don't tell her what to do!" Alba hissed. "Let her go!"

"Why? So you can hurt her some more, Meira?!" Rock shouted back at him.

"St-stop it..." Chae said quietly, her throat going hoarse.

"Like you're a lot better! Get her drunk and take advantage of her?" Alba replied. "Learn that technique from Terry, you slimebag?"

"At least I was there to get drunk with her!" Rock said. "Love 'em and leave 'em, huh? Learn that in your stupid gang, did you?"

Chae looked from Alba to Rock, and then pulled her arm away from the blond. She didn't know what she was supposed to do... they were both right... well, no Alba was wrong, Rock hadn't tried to take advantage of her, but... Rock was really wrong, Alba was just suffering from amnesia, he wasn't trying to hurt her...

but it had hurt...

And the alcohal had helped lessen the pain...

But now her head hurt, and she was confused, and she didn't want to pick between them. She couldn't.

Alba, thinking that she was stepping aside and choosing him, grabbed Rock's jacket and attempted to haul him out of the apartment.

But Rock had decided to fight, as drunk as he was. So he threw a punch.

And Alba caught his wrist, swung him around, and kicked him in the stomach... right out the door.

Rock landed on his knees, coughing and sputtering, looking up at Alba... and then past him, at Chae Lim, who's mouth was open and partially covered by her hand.

She rushed past the redhead, and knelt down to help Rock up.

"What are you doing?" Both men asked simultaneous.

When she opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.

--

Author's Note: Yeah, I'm starting the next chapter right now... please leave a review.


	5. Snowdrop

Author's Note: I want to get this story finished soon, so that I can work on some other stuff... not that I don't love working on this; I do. It's really fun to write. I just have a lot of stuff planned.

Anywho, onto the next chapter.

--

**Five-Leafed Clover**

**Sequel to 'Even My Shadow Left Me' an MI fanfiction by Strike To Incinerate.**

**Chapter o5 - Snowdrop (Hope and Consolation)**

--

"In your last hour stand  
You'll notice the one that you had loved in dreams is here among the others  
Chase it's you I want, but if I can't have her  
Then why should I spend any more time in a world that's going to end pretty soon?  
I need you now more than I ever did  
I'll hand myself over for you  
This comlink's lost its frequency and I feel that we're coming home short  
Here, take me instead, I'd rather not see her off alone"

Cuts Marked in the March of Men by Coheed and Cambria.

--

It had only been two weeks, but it wasn't working.

He had changed the locks, that was step two... but she hadn't come back to notice that, or bang on the door and demand to be let back in. He had half-expected her to; nay, he **had** expected her to, after a three-year relationship, and how she was always screaming about how much she loved him.

It had left disappointment seeping in the pit of his stomach.

He hadn't been able to go through with Step Three: Screw One of Her Friends So That She'll Never Even Want to Bother You Again.

For a few days, he had been angry, destroying the furniture in his apartment, tearing it to shreds like an animal, before he began to cough and spit up clots of blood.

Why wouldn't she come back and beg him to take her in?

Why?

It made very little sense to him. What was she trying to prove? That she would be okay without him?

But she wouldn't...

But maybe she would. Wasn't that why he had broken up with her? To make sure that she would be okay in the long run. Wasn't it better if she was okay without him?

It was okay for her.

But it was killing him, thinking that she really could move on so easily. Either she was stronger than he realized, or she had never cared as much as she had claimed.

No, that wasn't true. It couldn't be. Their love had been one of the only positive things in his life. One of the few stars still glittering in the night sky of his soul.

He had to have her back. Even if it was for a few days... it was killing him, to be without her, to have all of those thoughts milling around in his head. But he was going to die anyway. Why couldn't he have her for just a little longer?

He would have to beg Shizuka and Ryuhaku Todoh to give her back.

Iori Yagami stood up, and grabbed his car keys, wiping the little bit of blood that clung to his lower lip.

--

"Well?" Alba began. "Aren't you going to say something?" he asked her.

"Don't say anything to him!" Rock spat. "He doesn't deserve it!"

"Shut up, Howard!" Alba continued. "You can't just run in and pretend to be a knight in shining armor, making me look like the evil one."

"Well, you're certainly not the good guy!"

She wanted to yell at them to shut up, but nothing was coming out. Maybe it was the alcohal, she thought... she'd never drank so much before. Only a few tiny sips, because Master Kim had said that alcohal only led to evil... so maybe that was it. Maybe alcohal really was evil.

But she doubted it.

Rock had drank just as much as she had, and he could still yell.

She stood up, and shook her head. She raised her hand, showing her open palm to Alba, telling him to stop. He blinked. She did the same to Rock.

"... Is something wrong with your voice?" the redhead finally asked her.

She nodded.

Rock stood up. "She probably lost it because of all of the stress you were causing her."

"Oh, you would say that, wouldn't you?" Alba retorted. "Big bad Alba Meira. You can't lose your voice from stress, idiot. She probably got a cold because you killed her immune system with your binge drinking."

"As if that's even possible. Alcohal kills your liver, not your immune system. Look who's the idiot now," Rock responded.

Chae was getting sick of their bickering. She had never imagined two grown men fighting over her, and now, she really didn't want to. It was annoying, and childish, and frankly, it was going to give her an ego if they kept it up.

So she slapped them both across the face.

They rubbed their cheeks and looked at her.

"Well... you did tell us to stop..." Rock said sheepishly.

She folded her arms over her chest, and nodded. She began to sign the words for 'Can we please go to the hospital?' but unfortunately, Alba and Rock had never studied American Sign Language. Or Korean Sign Language, for that matter.

It was then that, with a violet flash, Ninon Beart made her grand entrance as the newest antagonist of this tale. "She wants you to take her to the hospital, you dolts," she told them, glaring at Rock specifically.

"Uh... thanks," Alba said. "Come on, the car is downstairs..." he said, taking Chae's hand and walking towards the stairs.

"But it's not going to help," Ninon called after them. "It's not an infection or an inflammation of any kind that's taken her voice," she told them, a small, feral grin playing on her thin lips.

"What?" Rock asked. "Then what is it?"

"What else does a sorceress do to a thieving, siren harlot?" Ninon replied with a shrug. "It's a curse... morons."

Chae Lim clenched her fists, opening her mouth to speak... and then, as Ninon laughed, remembered that she could not talk. So, instead, her hands moved quickly as she signed, 'I'm not a whore... what did I ever do to you? Why does everyone dislike me lately?'

"Don't be so dramatic," Ninon told her. "And you know exactly what you did, you scheming little siren... stealing Athena's fans wasn't good enough, was it?"

'I didn't--'

"No, you had to steal Rock, too!" she said, glaring at Rock again. "Your pathetic lover left you, so you decide to steal someone else's, huh?" she continued. "Well, you messed with the wrong Medea, siren!"

"She didn't steal anyone," Alba said. "And you and Rock weren't even dating. I don't think he's remotely interested in you."

Ninon threw out her hand, releasing a ball of blue electricity. Alba ducked it, pulling Chae down with him. It hit that wall and evaporated, leaving blackened scorch marks.

"Ninon, stop it," Rock told her. "You know, you come on way too strong... and you're just a kid. I'm 21, I could get thrown in jail if we did anything," he told her. "And with your sister being so overprotective, I don't doubt that I would."

"I don't care about what Mignon thinks! She's more of an idiot than any of you!" Ninon protested. "And I'm mature enough to handle an adult relationship. I've never met anyone with as much inner torment as you. Not to mention how good-looking you are, to boot!"

Rock flushed a little, and didn't say anything.

"This right here proves that you're not mature enough, Ninon," Alba told her. "You went and cursed Chae Lim for no reason at all. You had no right."

"I had every right! She--"

"--did absolutely nothing at all," Rock agreed. "She was going through a very hard time, and things got a little out of hand between us, that's all. You can't just go running around cursing people everytime something doesn't go your way."

"But I..." Ninon began. She wasn't used to be scolded, mostly because Mignon wasn't good at it, at all. Mignon was just too nice to ever look stern enough to scold someone, even a puppy. "Fine! Everybody take her side! You're all... idiots! Every single last one of you! I can't believe I wasted this much energy on you at all!" she said, crying and teleporting out.

"I feel... kinda bad..." Rock said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't want to make the poor kid cry..."

"You didn't do anything to lead her on, did you?" Alba asked.

"Oh, god no!"

"Okay, then," he said. "So... it really just got out of hand, huh?"

Rock and Chae both nodded. They were sobered up now.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Howard," Alba said bitterly, taking Chae's hand, and pulling her back into the apartment. Weakly, she waved goodbye to Rock, and the sound of a slammed door echoed in his ears until he turned and walked away.

On the coffee table, there was a note, written in the lopsided cursive of a teenager.

Alba picked it up, skimming it.

_"Don't worry; it's not a permanent curse. She can get her voice back with a kiss._

_But only from the one that truly loves her._

_Ciao,_

_Ninon Beart, the wicked sea-witch."_

Alba was tempted to crumple the note and toss it, but he let Chae Lim read it.

She figured that it was easy enough.

She dropped the note, threw her arms around him, and attempted to kiss him.

He was startled, and pushed her off.

She gave him a puzzled look, signing, 'What's wrong? Just kiss me.'

He shook his head, seeming to understand. "I can't."

'You don't love me?'

Alba could only understand the sign for love, but he seemed to get that she was asking him a question. "That isn't it..."

'Then what's wrong?'

He paused, thinking it over. He had wanted to ask her for space... but now, thanks to Ninon Beart, he couldn't just leave her by herself. He could kiss her, because it had become abundantly clear to himself and everyone else that he still loved her... but what if the kiss didn't work? Then all of his stress would have been for nothing, because it would mean that they had never been meant for each other.

And, on the other hand, if the kiss did work, then he would be eternally tied to her. It was a lot of pressure, knowing that she might be the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. If they were unhappy, he could never leave... because that kiss would mean that they were meant for each other.

She raised her arm, and pointed at the hallway which led to his-- their bedroom. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out... still, he knew that she had clearly said, 'Go... now.'

He nodded.

'What did you think you were doing, busting in here, trying to act all noble, when you're not even sure that you want me back? It's fine for you to go off and screw someone else, but when I try to do it, it's suddenly not okay!'

Her lips were moving too fast for him now. "I can't understand you," he told her helplessly.

'I can't understand you! And I've tried so hard to. I tried to be fine with you leaving me for Luise, especially after what happened... especially after of all the hoping that you would just stay with me. I waited for two months for you to wake up, two agonizing months, and you just had sex with me and decided to move on to something better. And as soon as I try to move on, too, you come busting in...'

In the middle of her soundless rant, she again realized that he couldn't hear her... that was what he meant when he said he couldn't understand.

Biting back tears, she flopped down on the couch, and rolled away from him.

He fought the urge to go and comfort her, sensing that she didn't want it right now.

--

It was around seven p.m. when Kasumi heard a car pull up into her family's driveway. She set down the glass she was washing, and wiped her hands on a towel, thinking she would go let the guest in.

Her mother stopped her. "I'll answer it," her voice was tense, and her eyes were sharp. It set Kasumi off, but she didn't do anything.

At least, until she heard her mother near hiss, "Go away," from the doorway.

She attempted to leave the kitchen, but her father blocked the way with his arm. "You stay here, Kasumi-chan. I'll handle this," he told her firmly.

She bit her lip, the faint, small hope sparking up in her chest as she thought that maybe... oh maybe, it was Iori.

She had missed him so much.

But she had promised that if he didn't want her, she wouldn't stick around. There was no point to it... no point at all.

But she missed him, and if that was him... she couldn't deny that she would happy to see him again, even for a minute.

She watched her father walk up to the front hall, but she stood still. Maybe it was not Iori after all.

Iori ground his teeth, and said, "Why won't you let me through? She's an adult. If she hates me that much, I'll leave."

"On the contrary... Our daughter would be happy to see you," Shizuka said. "But you agreed with us, you said it was better if she didn't. It would save her a lot of pain..."

"It was stupid, she's an adult, she can make her own decisions," he said quickly.

"Get off of my porch, now," Shizuka commanded. "And don't ever come back here. I'm not letting you ruin her."

Ryuhaku, absolutely frozen by the coldness in his wife's voice, did nothing. It was unfair for him to do anything, besides; he could let Iori through, siding with his only child, or he could agree with his wife, and bar his entry.

Iori was desperate. He knew why they wouldn't give Kasumi back to him... and deep down, he didn't blame them in the least. "Please, let me talk to her for a moment, I'm begging you---"

"I-Iori?"

Kasumi's voice was like a deep breath of cold, fresh air. It felt nice, it cleared his head. It filled his lungs and made him sigh.

"Kasumi, stay in the kitchen!" her mother shrilled.

"It's Yagami-san, isn't it?" Kasumi called, more insistently.

As selfish as it was, Iori had to see her... especially now that he knew that she wanted to see him, too. He did the last thing he'd ever thought he'd do...

he got on his knees, bowed his head, and begged.

"Please... I have to see Kasumi-san."

--

Cliff hanger. Just because I can.

Review, plox. xD


End file.
